The Cherokeean. (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 135, No. 27, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 16, 1984 Page: 1 of 16
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DALLAS, TX. 75¿15
TAXING WORK
Rusk ISD is raising the tax rate just
under 3 percent while Commission-
ers shave their original budget.
SEE STORIES BELOW
★ WHOSE NAME IS MUD? *
Mud Creek Reservoir has been dubbed Eastex Lake, and now awaits an okay
from the Angelina-Neches River Authority and the state legislature, as well
as more interest from Exxon concerning purchase of water rights.
SEE RESERVOIR' BELOW
REFORM PRINCIPALS
Senator Roy Blake explains the house
bill that will instigate statewide
education reforms.
SEE SENATOR BLAKE' P. 2
The Cherokeean
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Per Issue
Texas' Oldest Weekly Newspaper
Established as the Cherokee Sentinel, February 27,1850
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Vol. 135, No. 27
Thursday, August 16,1984—Rusk, Texas 75785
12 Pages
Rusk ISD Raises Tax Rate Almost 3 Percent
Taxpayers in the Rusk ISD will
pay a 79 cent tax rate this year.
Members of the Rusk School board
approved the rate Monday evening
in a lengthy five-hour session that
covered a multitude of items.
Board members moved through
the 12 item agenda as quickly as
possible, but many items required
explanation and discussion.
The 79 cents is just under the 3
percent increase over the 76.83 cent
effective tax rate, which requires a
public hearing.
The district has 160,413,000 in
total tax valuations, compared to
$135,000,000 for last year.
The district's new tax rate shows
52 cents going into maintenance and
operation and 27 cents into the in-
terest and sinking fund. The 27
cents I&S rate is set by bond
elections.
The board approved a district
budget of showing total estimated
revenue of $4,969,523. Additional
funds of $722,000 from local funds
earmarked for construction and
$860,000 from school bonds bring the
total available funds to $6,551,523.
In the revenue portion of the
budget local and intermediate
source funds are shown at $910,300,
state funds at $1,882,680 and federal
funds at $127,028. Special project
funds are $174,086; state vocational
$129,800; career ladder, $43,800;
state compensatory, $121,320;
Special Education, $333,200; Adult
Basic Education, $653,469; Special
Education Trust funds, $162,840 and
interest and sinking fund, $432,000.
Superintendent Tony Murray said
state fund allocations are pending
availability of funds
Expenditures in the general
operating fund show $1,435,375
going into instruction; $11,000 for
instructional computing; $1,100 for
instructional supervision; $48,007,
instructional media; $161,584,
school administration (campuses);
$1,000 instructional research and
development; $19,038, curriculum
and personnel development;
$16,620, communication and
dissemination; $25,532, guidance
and counseling; $17,190, health ser-
vices; $230,200, transportation,
•NT HI IH.ET, I>. 12
Reservoir Named, Now Pending ANRA 'Go Ahead'
Mud Creek Reservoir has been
named Eastex Lake. The name was
made public after a board meeting
Tuesday.
Members of the Rusk Chamber of
Commerce meeting at noon Mon-
day heard a report concerning the
lake, which was presented by Rusk
City Manager Bill Lindley.
Lindley in a variety of items
discussed the annexation process
for sub-divisions wanting to become
a portion of the City of Rusk. He
noted that as Rusk is a General Law
City, with a population of less than
5,000, areas wanting to be annexed
must petition the city council. The
city cannot just go out and annex an
area adjacent to its boundaries as
larger cities do, Lindley said.
In other business, plans for the
chamber to sponsor a teachers cof-
fee Aug. 22 at the Rusk High School
cafeteria were discussed.
Resignations from Larry Sin-
clair and Dan Lade were presented
at the meeting. Replacements for
the two will come from those
v. v..
It's Two A Day Time!
Football practice began Monday morning for the first session of those sessions held twice each day until the opening of school. Leg exer-
cises were underway early in the session as local athletes prepare for the coming seasons. -staff photo
receiving the next highest number
of votes during the last year's
chamber election.
Concerning the proposed lake,
Lindley told members of the cham-
ber board that all engineering and
soil studies are now complete and
planners are awaiting approval by
the Angelina-Neches River
Authority.
The lake will have a storage
capacity of 196,500 acre feet with a
surface area of 10,000 acres. There
will be 86,000 acre feet per year or
80 million gallons per day available
for sale. The dam will consist of an
earthen embankment with a ser
vice and emergency spillway
Storage elevation will be at 315 feet
with a 100 year flood elevation at 326
feet and a maximum flood elevation
of 331 feet
Once the application is filed with
the state, there will be an automatic
120-day review period for technical,
legal and environmental effects
Following this, notice will be sent to
all water rights holders in the basin,
of a hearing to be held This hearing
is to determine if there is adequate
water available for the proposed
reservoir This meeting has been
set for F ebruary 1985. This process
can take from two months to two
years Land acquisition will not
begin for at least five years. It will
take that long for money to become
available for the project.
Cost estimate for construction of
the project if constructed today
would run around $75 million
Exxon USA has tentatively backed
out of purchasing water rights for
its lignite gassification project,
Lindley said. However, he noted of-
ficials of ANRA are still talking to
Exxon
Lindley encouraged those atten-
ding to talk with their state
legislator and senator. He noted
that the project will face a critical
step when the 1985 Legislature con-
siders the appropriation bill for the
reservoir
Attending the meeting were Doyle
Rasberry, .Johnnie McKay, Jerry Oc-
ker, Joe Ray f)cker, Joe Rozelle. Har-
old Porter, Charles Hassell, George
Oodd, Lester Hughes, Lindley, Sue
Zane Robiason, Frank Bow den, Jean
Bryant, Larry Long and Herbert
Bell, presiding.
Commissioners Plan Budget Adoption, Hear Complaints On Road Matters
Cherokee County Commissioners
agreed Monday afternoon to recess
until 10 a.m. Friday to consider the
adoption of a county budget for the
fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.
Commissioners are also expected to
consider the adoption of an extra $5
charge on automobile registrations.
All surrounding counties have
already adopted this additional
charge, according to Linda Beard,
County Tax Assessor-Collector.
The proposed Cherokee County
budget now stands at $4,964,147
compared to the $5,022,620, as
originally proposed by County
Judge Robert McNatt. Com-
missioners have removed a $20 ad-
ditional longevity pay proposed in
the original budget. The longevity
pay schedule will remain the same.
Judge McNatt speculates that a
tax rate of 25.93 cents will be suf-
ficient to finance the new budget.
In action during the Monday
morning session, commissioners
appointed John Biggs of Alto as
coordinator for the Cherokee Coun-
ty Airport. Biggs' salary was set at
$600 per month for three months
and then $200 per month thereafter.
Biggs will work in bringing the air-
port up to federal and state
requirements, in compliance with a
'Round Town
With Mrs. Roundabout
grant application for airport im-
provements.
Biggs is retired as chief of the
helicopter portion of the Houston
Police Department and is a former
member of the Hobby Airport Ad-
visory Committee.
J.A. Long discussed the closing of
a lateral road. He says he can't get
to his property to feed his cattle.
Judge McNatt explained that he
had told Long that he would have to
see an attorney. Long replied that
he had--he had seen Leland Sutton
and Sutton had told him to go see
the commissioners. McNatt further
explained that Long must see an at-
torney and ask for a restraining or-
der from the district court. He
noted that the county com-
missioners can do nothing in the
matter.
David French of Bullard and a
group from his neighborhood
discussed road conditions in their
area with the commissioners. When
he asked Commissioner Joe Hen-
derson, Precinct No. 3, if it was in
the budget to repair roads in his
area, Henderson replied with No
Comment.
Miss Bill March was appointed to
fill a position on the Cherokee Coun-
ty Historical Commission vacated
by the resignation of Mrs. Mary
Buchanan.
Commissioners approved the
promotion of Lauri Bramble,
assistant Cherokee County Exten-
sion Agent to a position formerly
held by Jeannette Milstead, who
has transferred to another county
Miss Bramble formerly was
responsible for 4 11 activities. Her
former position will be filled in
December.
Commissioners declared August
as Child Support Month in Cherokee
County. Texas Attorney General
Jim Mattox had asked for the action
in support of a move to give parents
a chance to pay delinquent child
support payments.
Judge To Head Dedication Rites
Second Judicial District Court
Judge Morris Hassell. who is a past
master of the Euclid Masonic
Lodge will give the principal
oration for a cornerstone laying at 2
p.m. Sunday, at the Rusk Junior
High School.
Conducting the service wll be
Grand Master R.H. i Bob) Waters of
Dallas, assisted by other officers,
or his appointed alternates, of the
Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and
Accepted Masons of Texas, located
in Waco.
No cornerstone should be laid
with Masonic ceremonies except
Some times while driving on U.S.
69 and admiring summer's
profusion of pink blossoms on the
crape myrtles planted in the grassy
median, my mind wanders back to
an earlier period of my life.
It 1« the color of the pink, con-
trasting with the myrtle's green
leaves, that reminds me of a dress 1
had once. It was pink and green! A
kind of sheer cotton (this was
before synthetics were known),
lawn I think it was called.
Anyway, the dress came into
being the summer of my 13th birth-
day and the flowering shrubs had
done their usual in proliferation of
blooms. Ironically enough, it was
also the season for my own youthful
emergence toward maturity. I was
beginning to grow up. It was quite
evident that the girl child was fast
becoming a woman-child.
The dress came about as a neigh-
bar-friend's act of love and klnd-
Shr recognised my need for
a little lees child like in
cletMng. It was her suggestion to
my mm Ihat I needed a new i
Together they designed a
feminine style which Included puff
ed sleeves, a square neckline, edg-
ed in white eyelet lace about one
inch wide. The waist was inset with
the eyelet, too. And the blouse front
offered an abundance of gathers to
give fullness to my otherwise, 13-
year old flat front! But the dress
gave a suggestion...which offered
the hope that my eager, young soul
needed.
Together, my mom and our friend
took a little bit of material and
fashioned a dream. Its colors were
the colors of crape myrtle in the
summer time. And I don't even
remember her name. She didn't
live in our neighborhood too long.
With her husband snd house full of
children (five or sis, or maybe
seven) they moved on.
This was the summer before
Pearl Harbor in December. It was a
time in my life that I'U never forget.
Becoming 13. The eve of World War
II. I am sorry that I don't recall her
name. But I'll never forget her
loving kindness as long as I see pink
crape myrtles in the summer time.
By our actions, by our deeds, «re
•re knew*. And
In smnebedy's ssewery lieefc!
Until nmt week*
Officers for the Reek Parent-Teacher
PTA Officer*
Association met last week with school principal* to work wl detail for
Debbie Itanielv vtre president; Jack While, president l att? While.
I.ewer*, elementan «chwM principal and Heth long, primar*
man lane*pktsred. «uffphm
those of acknowledged public struc-
tures, such as churches, cour-
thouses. school buildings, asylums,
or buildings which are to be used for
Masonic purposes, and then only
upon special request of those in
authority. About a year ago the
Board of Trustees of the Rusk In-
dependent School District
authorized the laying of the corner-
stone at the Junior High School by
the Masonic Grand Lodge of the
State of Texas
Lodge members say this will be
an impressive ceremony that
should be witnessed by as many
citizens of Rusk and the RISD as
possible, including the students and
prospective students of the new
Junior High School
Prior the the laying of the corner-
stone will be the placement of cer-
tain memorials of the period, to
remain, hopefully, for many years
until they may be viewed again
Anyone may bring mementos for
placement in the cornerstone. Ob-
viously, there would not be room for
large items, but photographs and
clippings could probably be ac-
commodated
The cornerstone will be laid by
the Grand Master and members of
the (¡rand Lodge, assisted by the
members of Euclid Lodge N. 45,
and other Master Masons It will be
carefully placed, testing the ac-
curacy of placement by use of the
working tools of operative Masonry
consisting of the square, level and
plumb Then the cornerstone will be
consecrated by the application of
corn, wine and oil The significance
of these will explained at the
ceremony
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The Cherokeean. (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 135, No. 27, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 16, 1984, newspaper, August 16, 1984; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth151657/m1/1/: accessed July 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.